Leon Thomas leaned against the fence surrounding the field, pondered the upcoming matchup against St. Mary's and predicted a 7-point Stagg win.

Jim Medeiros, a 1976 Stagg graduate and a cancer survivor, walked the sidelines. It's where the Stocktonian watches every Stagg game.

And here's what's truly special. All of this was happening on the Stagg campus.

For years, the Stockton school - one named after a football coaching icon, no less - had to travel elsewhere for its football games.

A short jaunt over to University of the Pacific's stadium. Perhaps a bus trip to Edison High, which at one time had SUSD's only on-campus stadium. The Delta Kings also played some games at relatively new Chavez High.

But no longer. A home game is truly a home game. And the atmosphere could not have been much more special when the 8-0 Delta Kings took on perennial Stockton power St. Mary's with a conference title on the line.

"It's a whole different feeling having your very own football stadium," said Miller between shirt sales. "As students, it's just not the same if you have to go elsewhere. The atmosphere is so much better.

"I'm a softball player, and we have new baseball and softball fields. It's so different to have these types of facilities. I used to play softball on a dirt field with ruts."

Taxpayers: These are your dollars and bond-measure votes at work. The campus at Stagg is being totally transformed.

Yes, there are some who will say athletic facility spending should not be a priority when there are so many needs in SUSD schools. But the combination of new fields and new classrooms and more is doing a tremendous amount for the Stagg family.

"I graduated in 1976. We were the bicentennial class," Medeiros said. "This was the field that was promised to us many years ago. So many things changed and there were other needs.

"But I'm on this sideline every game, looking at the faces of the players. It's just a whole different feeling to have our own home. The crowds are into the game. It feels like a football atmosphere."

Medeiros attended Stagg in the era of Coach Bob Mattos, whose undefeated teams had epic battles - drawing more than 20,000 fans - with Lodi High at Pacific's stadium.

Friday's game was a Stockton classic. Stagg and St. Mary's put on an offensive show in a contest that was part football game and part track meet. The athleticism on the field - on Stagg's sparkling new field - was something to behold.

St. Mary's led 40-20 late in the second half before Stagg put together an amazing sequence, with two touchdown passes from Wayne Brooks to Andre Lindsey bookending a successful onside kick.

Suddenly it was 40-34 and the Stagg crowd was raucous.

St. Mary's did what St. Mary's often does - responded with a field goal and crucial interception to seal a 43-34 victory. The Rams were clutch.

Defeat is always difficult for high school kids, especially when so much is riding on a game.

Still, I couldn't have felt better for Stagg Coach Don Norton, a true quality gentleman and a survivor of many of those bus rides around town for years.

"I'm so proud of you," he told his players who had dropped to one knee in the end zone after the game. "You never quit. We made some mistakes. We have to get better. But you played your hearts out. Are you ready to finish this season strong?"

"Yes Coach," his team yelled in unison.

The players then stood up, walked off their new field, past the new softball and baseball fields and toward their own locker room.

It was a night to remember and a great game.

Make that a great HOME game.

Contact Record Editor Mike Klocke at (209) 546-8250 or mklocke@recordnet.com.